Here's why Brad Schimel's (R) rape kit backlog is part of the Wisconsin Supreme Court election
Waukesha County Judge Brad Schimel wants his quest for a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court to focus on so-called law and order themes, but he has been overshadowed by his own recent comments supporting an abortion ban, encouraging the notion of a “bloody revolution” in America, and complaining that the insurrectionists who launched a violent attack on the US Capitol in 2021 weren’t getting special treatment by the courts.
And that’s all on top of an issue that has been his lasting legacy as a former state attorney general: the massive backlog of rape evidence kits that required processing in order to secure justice for the victims of sexual assaults.
While the backlog existed prior to Schimel being elected in 2014, his management of the problem —slow progress in getting funds to pay for testing, a lethargic effort to remove roadblocks by local law enforcement, and misstatements about testing progress— made it difficult for him to run for a second term on “law and order” themes when justice was being delayed or denied for rape victims. He was unseated by current Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul in 2018.
Public awareness of the backlog grew with news reports in 2014 and 2015 that showed how law enforcement offices throughout the country had allowed rape kits to linger, fester, even rot on storeroom shelves. Each one contained forensic material collected during a lengthy, invasive exam from women still processing the trauma of some kind of sexual contact against their will. While the DNA evidence has led to convictions that get attackers off the streets, most everyone agrees much more progress should have been made.
https://upnorthnewswi.com/2025/03/31/heres-why-brad-schimels-rape-kit-backlog-is-part-of-the-wisconsin-supreme-court-election/